The Memo

Archives for August 2016

It has been 75 years since the city of Tupelo purchased the former home of U.S. Rep. John Allen on the corner of Madison and Jefferson streets for $25,000 and turned it into the county’s first library. Decades of community support from educators and developers had finally led to a free, public circulating library.

Daily Journal reporter Zack Orsborn (4:28) wrote about the Lee County Library’s history in Sunday’s paper. He joins Derek and Brad on today’s show to discuss how the facility came into being and the impact it has had on the community. He also will talk about Friday’s celebration of the library’s 75th birthday.

Also on today’s show, Capitol Bureau Chief Bobby Harrison (9:55) talks about Mississippi’s July revenue report, which showed the state collected $11.5 million less than it did during July 2015. That 3.9 percent drop continues a string of bad news confronting legislators and Gov. Phil Bryant in regards to the state budget. Meanwhile, as the state begins to put together next year’s budget, House Speaker Philip Gunn named Gautier Republican John Read as the new House Appropriations chairman.

Six years after buying the old cotton mill in downtown Tupelo, Greg Pirkle hasn’t changed his vision for the facility that was built more than a century ago. The plans have been tweaked, but the overall vision remains the same – transforming it into a multi-purpose facility that will draw more people into the Mill Village area and into Tupelo.

On today’s episode, Daily Journal business editor Dennis Seid (6:29) joins Derek and Brad to discuss Pirkle’s big plans for the future of the J.J. Rogers building. That includes an events space that could be ready by the end of the year, plus housing businesses, residential lofts, office space, bowling alleys and more.

Also on today’s show, local government reporter Caleb Bedillion (11:38) provides an update on the six new committees formed by the city to increase trust and engagement between citizens and local government.

M. Scott Morris (23:36) talks about his story on the turf crews at Mississippi State and Ole Miss and the work they do behind the scenes to prepare their playing surfaces for football season.

Want to know what’s coming to a movie theater near you this fall? We’ve got you covered.

Derek (33:01) runs through the list of films that will be released this fall and tells you what to expect from them. The upcoming slate is low on light-hearted flicks and high on drama. New titles include “The Magnificent Seven,” “Blair Witch,” “The Girl on the Train,” Sing”, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and more.

Meanwhile, M. Scott Morris (25:32) joins Derek and Brad to give his regular movie review. This week, he is talking about “Kubo and the Two Strings,” an animated feature about the adventures of a 12-year-old boy.

Also on today’s show, Josh Mitchell (12:52) of Corinth Today discusses his recent series on the state of mental health care in Alcorn County, the challenges faced by those with illness and the services available.

Derek (43:05) also breaks down this weekend’s entertainment scene – The Markus King Band, a night of world drumming, the C Spire Summer Movie Series and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Some 928,000 Mississippians lack access to high-speed internet, particularly in rural communities. This puts them at a disadvantage for work and school and often forces them to travel to find WiFi hotspots in order to complete necessary assignments.

Some internet providers do not want to take the chance of expanding into rural communities because it is difficult to cover the costs of digging out old infrastructure and installing expensive equipment. Meanwhile, the Mississippi Public Service Commission has been pushing for service to be expanded, and a partnership between the MEGAPOP coalition and CSpire is working to bring broadband infrastructure to more communities.

Daily Journal reporter Zack Orsborn (7:31) recently wrote about the issue that has a large impact on the region, and he joins Brad and guest co-host Lauren Wood to share what he learned from his reporting.

Also on today’s show, health reporter Michaela Morris (14:08) discusses the 30th birthday for North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital. Today’s pregnant women have a much different experience than did those who gave birth before the new facility was built, and Michaela recounts the changes through the years.

Capitol Bureau Chief Bobby Harrison (30:44) provides an account of this week’s state budget hearings, including a debate between Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and the heads of the state departments of Health and Mental Health on whether cuts made by those departments were necessary.

Students in Northeast Mississippi schools as a whole performed above the state average on last year’s state tests, according to results released by the Mississippi Department of Education last week. Tupelo students scored particularly well on math tests, and Lee County students did so on English tests. Students in the Union County, Oxford, Prentiss County, Itawamba County, Tupelo, New Albany, Amory, Booneville, Lafayette County and Pontotoc City school districts performed consistently well across the board.

Daily Journal education reporter Emma Kent (6:38) joins Derek and Brad on today’s show to discuss what we can take from those test scores and how the MDE will use the results to determine letter-grade rankings for schools and districts. Those rankings are expected to be released around October.

Also on today’s show, local government reporter Caleb Bedillion (13:32) has an update on the Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert case. A little more than two months after Shumpert was fatally shot by a Tupelo police officer and about three weeks after a grand jury returned no criminal charges against the officer, much of the direct evidence in the case remains hidden from public view. The Daily Journal submitted a public records request to MBI seeking its report into the shooting. MBI denied the request on the basis that federal authorities are reviewing the MBI report. Meanwhile, fragmentary access to the investigative and medical records cast doubt on at least some claims made in a wrongful death suit.

Several groups and individuals from Northeast Mississippi are working to collect and deliver donations to the victims of flooding in Louisiana and south Mississippi. Daily Journal reporter William Moore (10:00) joins Derek and Brad on today’s episode to provide an update on those efforts.

After school programs serving thousands of children in the Northeast Mississippi region are in danger of being eliminated following a budgeting error made by the Mississippi Department of Education affecting federal grant funds. The error impacts the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which supports enrichment programs for students outside of the regular school day. Daily Journal education reporter Emma Kent (13:16) joins Derek and Brad on today’s show to explain the situation and how it could affect students in the region.

Emma (17:25) also discusses a plan by a Tupelo Middle School teacher to use the popular Pokemon Go game as a teaching tool. Anthony Golding teaches Mississippi Studies to eighth graders and said the smart phone app can help engage students with local history.

Also on today’s show, Daily Journal business editor Dennis Seid (7:16) previews the upcoming fall Tupelo Furniture Market. Capitol Bureau Chief Bobby Harrison (24:45) tells of an effort by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to make the process for renewing driver’s licenses quicker and more convenient. The new license also will be more secure and offer better protection against identity theft.

A plane crash near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Sunday took the lives of three married couples from Oxford. Four of the six passengers were dentists, and they were traveling back from a dental conference in Florida when their 1984 Piper PA-31 crashed just east of the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport. Each of the couples had children. They were also well known in the community.

The Oxford Citizen’s John Davis (13:30) joins Derek and Brad to discuss the victims and the impacts they left on Oxford.

Also on today’s show, Daily Journal law enforcement reporter William Moore (8:10) provides an update on the new police headquarters building that is nearing completion. Officers are expected to move into the 34,000-square-foot facility in late August or early September.

Lauren Wood (24:09) discusses her photo essay on the Tupelo Public School District’s food service.

Business is booming at the Chick-Fil-A in Thompson Square Shopping Center, so much so its owner is having to close it at the end of the year to accommodate its growing fan base.

But how will that fan base handle four months without chicken sandwiches? Daily Journal business editor Dennis Seid (6:12) joins Brad and guest co-host Chris Kieffer to answer that question. He also explains the restaurant’s need for expansion and outlines plans for the new facility to be built in roughly the same location – in front of Kroger and next to Taco Bell.

Chick-Fil-A locations inside The Mall at Barnes Crossing and in the North Mississippi Medical Center will remain open.

Also on today’s show, Capitol Bureau chief Bobby Harrison (13:44) looks at a couple of events that tie into Mississippi’s rich literary tradition. On Wednesday, University of Mississippi poet and educator Beth Ann Fennelly was named Mississippi’s new poet laureate. Meanwhile, organizers are preparing for the second-annual Mississippi Book Festival, which is slated for Aug. 20 at the state Capitol. Highlighting its many events will be presentations by two Pulitzer Prize winners – novelist and Jackson native Richard Ford and Random House Executive Editor Jon Meacham.

Derek (28:56) joins the show from Memphis to provide an update on the Elvis Week festivities taking place there. He also has the highlights of this weekend’s entertainment scene.

Storytelling night will return to the Link Centre later this month after nearly a year’s hiatus. Event co-organizers JB Clark and Russ Polsgrove (7:58) join Brad and Derek today to discuss the series and the impact it has had.

The event was launched to give Tupelo an outlet where people can gather every couple of months to tell their personal stories in a welcoming environment. JB and Russ talk about the powerful emotions they’ve seen and why it is important for the community to have such an open mic forum. They also preview the Aug. 19 event and explain its theme – “White Hot Heat.”

Also on today’s show, local government reporter Caleb Bedillion (22:40) talks about a plan unveiled by Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton on Tuesday to try to rebuild community trust and increase engagement. Shelton called for six different committees to study concerns that have been raised in the wake of the shooting death of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert by a Tupelo Police officer.

Law enforcement reporter William Moore (33:21) talks about a new Citizens Police Academy that starts in September. Many citizens have questioned how the Tupelo Police Department operates in the wake of the Shumpert shooting. The academy, which had already been planned, will give attendees an up-close look inside the department.

Food editor Ginna Parsons (37:21) breaks down this week’s food section, including lemon chicken pasta salad; mascarpone pasta with chicken, bacon and spinach and a cook of the week who enjoys making party foods.